Oh, Birdie Bird,
I can't believe you are now 11 years old. I started writing posts for this blog over 10 years ago. I loved you then and I love you more now.
I am so very proud of the young lady that have become and the young woman your are becoming. You are intelligent, articulate, caring and so much fun to be around. I only wish you and I could spend more time together, and much more often.
I am convinced of two things.
(1) ten years from now will come, and
(2) it will seem like ten minutes when it does.
One thing I ask of you -- take full advantage of every day.
Here is my prayer for you:
That you see each day as a gift from God, a day never before seen and never again to be experienced....a day to be embraced and cherished, leaned into and learned from.
That you are thankful in the midst of each day, recognizing and rejoicing in God's goodness and favor throughout the day;
That you fully experience each day, seeing what God would have you to see, hearing what God would have you to hear, saying what God would have you to say, and doing what God would have you to do, aware of and participating in God's grace and activity in the world around you;
That you would squeeze from each day all that it holds in regards to God's kingdom, both in your life and in the lives of those you spend time with during the course of the day;
That you would live each day so that, at the end of the day, you can present it to Jesus as an offering of worship and a sacrifice of praise.
I love you muchly!
Papa